Still Alive
by I.Write.Love
Summary: A series of drabbles and one-shots centered around Wheatley and my friend, Cass. Written for everyday she's outta town :D
1. Cooldown Hug

**Okay, so... if y'all aren't familiar with the artist "forte-girl7" on DeviantART, well... You're missing out. She's an amazing artist, and centers her work around Portal 2, more specifically a humanized Wheatley, which whom I've fallen in love with. Absolutely. It's mad. But, yeah. She made this 4 page comic called "Cooldown Hug", and I promised GlassSoul something for her when she gets back from Disneyland, I was like "... Yes." And, so, we have this.**

**The 4 page comic can be found on her DA account. Be sure to comment/fav/watch because she's an amazing artist, and she deserves the credit, okay?: http: /forte-girl7 ./deviantart. com  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Portal 2- Valve does. The human version of Wheatley I based my Wheatley is credited for forte-girl7, same with the 4 page comic, and (I believe) the term "cooldown hug". I sadly only own the rights to use Cass in the story :P**

**Enjoy~!  
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><p><strong>Cooldown Hug<strong>

Rage, there was rage in his blue eyes, a growl set firmly in his voice cords as he looked at her, intently more than ever before. Cass' face was just as intense, but where rage was in his eyes, longing and sadness set in her baby blues. She looked determined, mouth in a line, frowning as she planned in her head her escape, the same one the man in front of her had helped her with. They had been friends, such good friends, but now… Now it was like he didn't care, all because of a little power. She could feel the tears prick at the back of her eyes, but she didn't dare let him see her cry. Cass' demeanor got more defensive as he pointed in her direction, anger on his face.

"You ruined everything!" he shouted, reddish brown hair that had been neatly flipped out of his face flopping down in the intensity of the situation. "I had been in control of the entire facility, you had helped me, and now…" he chuckled darkly. "Now you just want to get rid of me, to put **her** back in power and let me live the life of a moron for the rest of eternity! But jokes on you, Cass! I won't let you!"

She shook her head. "I don't!" she yelled, her voice echoing around the walls. It came back quieter than it had left, and she could hear the strain of her fighting back tears, the pleading with him to just give up and let her do what needed to be done, but she knew him; he wasn't going to back down now that he went from being a moronic wimp to a powerful valiant controller.

"You told her the same thing, and I'm not going to end up like that!" He was losing his patience. He flipped a switch, a rocker sentry appearing from the ground. "I'm no longer the weakling Wheatley I was before, you know! And I'm not going back to that!"

A rocket aimed toward Cass, but she made the split second decision to run, her fall boots making hollow 'thunks' against the floor, portal gun heavy in her hands. Another was launched, barely missing her leg by less than an inch. She swallowed and turned toward Wheatley again, watching him growl again. She could only pull it off if he stopped firing long enough… It was now or never.

Wheatley spread his arms open. "You threw your only weapon away, you moron! You can't take me on like that! I'd like to see you try!"

She lunged for him, tears finally pouring.

"Wha-"

His sentence cut short as her arms wrapped around his middle, her face buried in his chest as she sobbed. Wheatley stared straight ahead, his face one of utter confusion and shock, then he looked down to Cass, her blonde fringe hair messy, white Aperture tank-top dirty, orange jumpsuit torn in some places and cheeks stained with tears. _'I did that… She's crying… Because of me…' _The realization hit him hard, and he could only stare before his arms held onto her slowly, holding her closer and tears threatening to pour out of his own eyes.

"Wheatley, just… Don't do it…" Cass said, looking up into identical blue, tears staining her cheeks, her eyes red from crying. "Please…"

He rested his chin on top of her head, never letting her go. "I won't… I promise."


	2. Define Dancing

**A bit longer than the last, but, as before, based off a picture by "forte-girl7". "Define Dancing". I swear, her pictures inspire me...**

**DAY NUMBER TWO! W00t! DONE! I've got the other four days planned out. I'm not sure when they'll be one-shot length, because these are wimpy freakin' drabbles right hur. I fail sometimes.**

**So, um. Yeah. WheatleyXCass. That's kinda given, ya?**

**If ya haven't beaten Portal 2, btw, IT'LL GIVE YA SOME MAAAAAAAAAAAJOR SPOILERS, KAY? So... Don't read it if you haven't like, beat the game.  
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**Disclaimer: **

**Cave Johnson: CAVE JOHNSON HERE! Ever feel like suing someone for copying characters and writing stories about them in awkward, strange, and even mature situations? Well, our boys at Aperture Science invented this new thing for those "fan-fiction" writers, and it's called a "disclaimer"! Just add one of those bad boys into the story before it starts, and suddenly, it'll be like you can't be sued! **

**Caroline: Sir, those already existed. **

**Cave Johnson: ... Then those damn lab boys aren't lying to me to get back at me for the control group mention! Damn them! SOMEONE GET ME THE COMBUSTIBLE LEMONS!**

**Caroline: -sigh- Miss Rae doesn't own Portal or the characters. Valve does.**

**Enjoy numoro dos!~  
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><p><strong>Define Dancing<strong>

It was all quite funny how she was here, up by the moon and not down in the laboratory, where she was supposed to be. Her eyes could never stop looking around, trying to find the man she had condemned up here with herself, the very reason itself she threw away her freedom on Earth for damnation in space. It was oh-so funny how she did that for the same one who tried to kill her, several times, threw bombs at her, but was a friend in the end, the one she had trusted to get her out of Aperture. It was her fault he was so power-mad, anyway… All her fault.

Tears burned behind her eyes and she wiped them away as the bulged over and fell, sitting on the moon's surface carefully, hair floating slightly in the minimal gravity. Cass sighed, bringing her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around her shins, resting her head on her knees. Space was so quite, torturously so. No sounds, no voices, no little beeps and the gentle hum of machines she had grown so used to testing in the laboratory. And there wasn't the silly, calming voice of _him._ Oh, why did she do what she did? It was hopeless now; she trapped herself in space, and now she can't even find the reason why she did it.

"I wish I could talk it all back. I honestly do."

Her ears perked up as a voice came to her, and she looked around. Nothing.

"I honestly do wish I could take it all back. And not just 'cause I'm stranded in space."

That accent, the voice, the speech patterns. _'Wheatley?'_ Cass stood, carefully and looked into the black abyss, blue eyes wide and tears still falling. "Wheatley?" She whispered quietly, still not used to using her voice.

"If I was ever to see her again, do you know what I'd say?"

Her heart fluttered to life as she saw familiar reddish brown hair a bit messy and the familiar gray outfit. She almost cried again, but his voice picked back up again.

"I'd say, '_I'm sorry_'. Sincerely, I am sorry- I was bossy… and monstrous… And, I am genuinely sorry…" His voice was strained, and his shoulders rose and fall. "And now I'm stuck in space, with now way to get back to her… I really am a moron…"

Cass' eyes filled with tears and rolled down her cheeks, and she smiled. "Wheatley." She said, loud enough for him to hear.

He turned, feet causing a small cloud of dust to be stirred up, his cerulean eyes wide when he saw her. "Cass?"

She ran for him, wrapping her arms around his middle and squeezing. "I-I missed you, Wheatley… I came back for you…" She said, voice smaller than he could remember, but face just as sincere, eyes just as sweet and smile just as pretty. "I couldn't leave you here."

"Y-You got yourself stuck in space for me?" Wheatley asked, blinking as Cass nodded. "But, why? I mean, didn't GLaDOS say she was going to let you go?"

"She was, but… I couldn't just let you stay up here alone, with…"

"SPAAAAAAAAAACE!"

They looked over to where a white sphere was floating around, yellow eye darting around everywhere. "I'm in space!"

"With that." Cass finished, smiling, her arms falling to her side. " I just couldn't."

"But… You just threw away what you had fought me for…" Wheatley trailed off, hurt in his eyes, confusion set in his voice. "I just don't get it…"

Cass chuckled, kissing his cheek gently, hands resting on his chest. "It's because I like you, Wheatley, and… and I'd feel so guilty if I left you here."

Wheatley's face went red, and he smiled a little. "Well, I, um…" He scratched the back his head, then took in a breath, putting his hands to Cass' waist. "I like you, too."

She smiled, but yelped a little when he took on of her hands and spun her in a circle, one hand resting back on her waist after her turn. Cass looked up at him and tilted her head to the side. "What was that for?"

"Not sure, but it sounded like a bloody brilliant plan." He smiled. "Zero-gravity dancing, yeah? Coolest thing I've ever heard of. That Machiavellian guy didn't even think of this one."

Cass had to laugh, her arms around Wheatley's neck. "No, because he wasn't as smart as you."

"But I-"

She held a finger to his mouth. "Listen, just because what GLaDOS said was true, doesn't mean you're not smart, okay? Because I kinda liked your stupid ideas, anyway." She smiled.

Wheatley smiled in return, before resting his forehead against hers. "Well, I know I'm not going to try anymore stupid stunts after this. Especially ones that involve killing you, of course."

"Good."

"But… I do have no last moronic thing I need to do."

Cass looked up just as Wheatley's lips met her own quickly, before he pulled back, cheeks red and face worried. "Now I'm done with stupid things."

The blonde's look of shock disappeared into a blush of her own before smiling and pecking him on the lips again. "Just shut up and dance with me."

He spun them slowly, chuckling to himself. "Of course, Cass."

"I love you, Wheatley."

His heart skipped a few beats, and he looked down to make sure she hadn't noticed before he smiled and leaned his head on hers. "I love you, too, Cass."


	3. Still Can't Reach

**Okay, again. forte-girl7's picture is an inspiration. GOOD NEWS FOR YOU: the next one won't be inspired by her pictures! So, that's good, that's good for you, not so much for her, but... Um... **

**I had a mini-Wheatley moment.**

**OH, GLASSOUL, WTF ARE YOU DOING? HAND YOUR DS TO YOUR MOM, DONT READ THIS UNTIL YOU GET BACK. ITS SUPPOSED TO BE A SURPRISEEEE! TT^TT SURPRISE. **

**Oh. We're doing it now? (WHEATLEY Y U INFECT BRAIN? -face desk face desk face desk-)**

**In case y'all didn't know, I was listening to a video on Youtube with all of the Wheatley quotes while writing this, soo... ALL of the quotes Cass remembers in this are from the game. YAY FOR ME! -dances- And I also had to delete my email that was hooked up to my phone, then re-connect it, so I lost ALL the drafts I had saved of random stories and shit... I'm... I'm pretty sad about that ;-; Also, this one's shorter than the first one... I PROMISE I'LL WRITE ONE THAT ACTUALLY IS MORE THAN 1000 WORDS ;-;  
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**Disclaimer:**

**GLaDOS: You're a moron to believe a moron like the writer of this actually owns the characters in this. It's obvious that I do, you pathetic, worthless. monstrous humans.**

**Chell: ... (translation: Valve owns Portal 2, okay? Don't listen to the crazy computer.)**

**ENJOY~  
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><p><strong>Still Can't Reach<strong>

The stars, they glittered so pretty in the evening sky, so calmingly, but yet so sad. Cass' eyes looked at the grass that went on for miles, the Companion Cube, so worn and old, next to her and then the sky again, watching the slightly more colored star that moved a little bit by a little bit. Her eyes, so blue, looked down and she sighed, sitting down on the cube and adverting her eyes away from what she could never reach. Thinking about it would just make it worse, she knew, but her mind would never let it rest that _she _had left him up there by himself, _she _had tried to destroy him in that damned room with those stupid bombs, that _she,_ of all people, was his friend, and had just thrown that all away for _freedom_ of the worst kind. This empty field in the middle of nowhere with a locked shack was her freedom, a constant reminder of what she had thrown away for it…

She ran her fingers through her short, blonde hair and swallowed down the burning lump in her throat, tears beginning to sting at the back of her eyes. What had she been thinking? She was getting stupider just sitting in this glass plain, and she had to face the facts sometime; she couldn't save him, no matter what she did.

With shaky legs, Cass stood on top of the cube and looked up in the sky, his voice echoing in her ears, the first thing he had ever said to her so long ago stuck as a voice of guilt (like she needed any more of that).

"_Ha! I knew someone was alive in here. Ah! Oh. My. God. You look terrible - ummm... good. Looking good, actually_."

She chuckled at the memory, wiping her tears away before they ran down her cheeks, and stiffened in the breeze that blew past, cursing the white tank top she wore. His voice came back, and she took a deep breath. Cass missed him more than she could begin to explain.

"_Oh, for God's sake... They told me that if I ever turned this flashlight on, I would die! They told me that about everything! I don't even know why they bother giving me this stuff if they didn't want me to use it; it's pointless! Mad!"_

The flashlight… She took a scrap of metal out of her jumpsuit's pocket, turning it over in her hand carefully. A piece of metal she had accidentally pulled off of Wheatley when she was carrying him through all those twists and turns of the laboratory.

"_Look how small you are down there! I can barely see you! Very tiny and insignificant! Let me tell you, I knew it was gonna be cool being in charge of everything, but... wow, this is cool! And check this out! I'm a bloody genius now!"_

"_Do you have any idea how good this feels?" _

She winced at the memory of _that _moment.

"_I did this! Tiny little Wheatley did this!"_

Cass was getting sick of the guilt-trip of memories, so she began to sit down, but one last little line sounded in her mind, and she couldn't hold it in. The tears fell down her face, and she closed her eyes.

"_Change of plans! Hold on to me! Tighter, tighter!"_

She had let him go.

Cass stood up straighter, reached out toward the sky, toward the space, toward him, knowing she's never be able to reach, but she's always try, no matter what because she missed him, loved him and wanted him back.

In the end, maybe she was the moron, not him.


	4. Now I Only Want You Back

**So... DAY NUMBER FOUR! I downloaded the entire Portal 2 OST, "Songs To Test By" and, well... It's pretty sweet. I feel asleep listening to it last night. And, just so y'all know, you can get it off of Portal's website for absolutely NOTHING. Legally, too! It's awesome =w=**

**This one, "Now I Only Want You Back" was inspired by the ending song, "Want You Gone". I totally fixed the words to fit Wheatley's P.O.V. talking about Cass. Ain't I awesome? =w=**

**Disclaimer:**

**Space: SPAAAAAAAAACE! Disclaimers are in space? And, and, and the author needs a disclaimer, right? Well, SPAAAAACE!**

**Curiousity: Oooooh! Does she own this! I wonder what space is! I need a disclaimer, too, don't I?**

**Space: -deep father voice- No, son. Space is not full of disclaimers, but, the author does not own this. -normal voice- BUT STILL SPACE, RIGHT? -deep voice- Yes, son, space.**

**Enjoy~~~~~  
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><p>Well, here I am again,<p>

Space isn't such a pleasure.

Remember when you tried

to kill me once?

Oh how I laughed and laughed,

Except it really hurt bad

under the circumstances,

You've been shockingly nice.

You want your freedom? Take it

That's what I'm counting on.

I used to want you dead, but

Now I only want you back

He's a lot like you

Maybe not quite as quiet

Now little Space core is up here, too

One day I woke up,

And found you asleep forever

It's such a shame I'll never

See you again.

You've got your whole life left

That's what I'm counting on

I'll let you get right to it,

But I only want you back

Goodbye my only love

Oh, do you even feel the same?

I would laugh, if I could,

But it's the truth

Well you can't be replaced

I really need you right now

When I deleted you,

I didn't feel any better

Don't make new disasters

That's NOT what I'm counting on

You're someone else's friend

Now I only want you back

Now I only want you back

Now I only want you

Back...


	5. There She Is

**I wrote and finished this one after my first period exam today (: It was a computer class, and since the exam was super duper freakin' easy, I was like "STORY TIME" and my mind came up with this, and little Wheatley being kind of a stalker. Day number 5. W00t!**

**If you haven't played the first Portal, this might have some minor spoilers for the game and ending and all that, but it doesn't have any for Portal 2, so you're safe. Also, NO, Wheatley was NOT in the first one... I just like to screw around with the plot sometimes.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Adventure Core "Rick": Hey there pretty reader. Goin' on an adventure, aren't ya? Well, just if it happens to strike you're fancy, this pretty little lady that wrote this here story doesn't own it. **

**Fact Core: She doesn't. But she does own a life-size model of Wheatley which hangs above her bed.**

**Rick: Sorry, mate. That ain't true either.**

**It's not. Enjoy -hearts for everyone-  
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><p><strong>There She Is<strong>

He liked to watch her.

No, no, that sounded creepy, and he wasn't creepy. When he thought about it, and got down to it, he liked to watch her test for that insane super computer that ran the facility. She wasn't like the other test subjects that had tried with all their might and had failed in the end; she was different. They were rash, choosing to run into the situation with little fear only to fall into the acid water below, but she… She didn't even walk out of the entrance's doorway without a plan, her blue eyes always scanning the room for the exit and portal spaces, then carefully- and thoughtfully- thinking up a way to them. The girl was smart; he had to give her points for that.

It wasn't that it impressed him (it did, but he was easily impressed to begin with), he just liked the way she tested versus all the other idiots that had gone through it. He could only remember one other person like her, but she had escaped the facility shortly after, and he never saw her again. But this girl, the one with the short, fringed blonde hair, black-rimmed glasses and blue eyes was an absolute star in the face of GLaDOS' testing. And for that, Wheatley had to admire her.

Of course, she was a bit reckless. She found the secret vaults that Dr. Rattman had opened up so many years ago, began exploring them, reading the messy poetry and little notes he had left behind. His obsession with the Companion Cube was evident, with all the pictures in his dens he had pinned up, and that about his long-lost personality sparked the curiosity in her. More than once had he caught her mumbling to herself a poem which was written on the walls.

"Not in cruelty, not in wrath, the reaper came today…" her voice said softly, as she carried a weighted cube in her arms, setting it down gently on the button and sitting atop of it. "An angel visited this gray path and took the cube away…" Her feet would dangle off the edge of the cube and her face, so contorted in confusion and thought would appear as an angel to him before she sighed and scratched her head, hoping off the box and heading to the elevator to continue her testing. She was the only one who had ever talked.

She was clever, smart, and extremely perceptive, making her all the more dangerous to GLaDOS as she tested, finding more and more of the Ratman dens, and uncovering secrets that were supposed to be long-lost. The more she found, the more Wheatley began to worry that she would end up like all the other test subjects; dead. This paranoia only grew when she jumped onto the platform, promises of cake echoing over the empty facility, and her eyes lit up.

'_It's a trap!' _he had thought, but he couldn't say anything from his little rail that he dangled on.

When she spotted the fire pit, her bright baby blues grew darker and she quickly thought of the way out. With precise portal placement, she hopped off the platform and onto an overhanging right above where she could have died, her face dirty with ashes that must have floated up. She swallowed down whatever had risen in her throat and turned, running and following arrows scribbled on the walls in black and red markers, her eyes always watching, always looking, never closed or showing any signs of giving up. And in those moments, when she had finally made it to GLaDOS' chamber, and all hope would have left him he had let it, Wheatley knew one thing for certain, and for the first time in his life, he was sure he was one-hundred percent right.

He had fallen in love with this strange test subject. She was partially mute, stubborn and endless, never rash or impulsive, a little on the reckless side, but she was strong, even after a few high energy balls barely hit her and a turret's bullets let little gashes in her upper arms, she kept testing, kept looking for that moment that she'd be able to escape. She was admirable.

GLaDOS had been destroyed, and for a moment, Wheatley thought that she was dead- the mysterious test subject that seemed immortal had finally died. It was almost hard to believe, when he thought about it, and a poem kept coming to his mind, her voice narrating as she had done so many times.

"Because I could not stop for death, it finally stopped for me. The cube had food and maybe ammo and immortality."

If he wasn't a robot, he knew he would have cried.

But so many years passed, all years without seeing her, and the facility, now completely abandoned and overrun with several types of foliage, was starting to fall apart. The stasis chambers, kept operational through the back up generators had failed not to long after that, and as the overseer of the entire line of bloody test subjects (he cursed the job in the first place), began to wake them up, one at a time. The subjects never made it to the portal gun, and he knew he'd be stuck here forever. They all had severe brain damage from being under for so long, and he was loosing hope.

There was one file he read over on his way to the final stasis chamber, humming a weird tune to himself.

"_Name: Cass. Age: 15. Hair: Blonde. Eyes: Blue. Under Stasis for: - Unable to test; extremely perceptive and stubborn."_

He never paid attention to the after notes, anyway. Wheatley opened the door, looking in with a smile only he could see in his brain and a new sense of hope obtained and his heart- though not real- was alive once more.

It was her- Cass- the strange little test subject that had gone through and destroyed GLaDOS all those years ago, sleeping on the stasis chamber's bed soundlessly, her chest rising and falling evenly as he beamed.

She was alive.


	6. Anything for Love

**;-; This one ish saaaaaad-ish. Not too terribly sad, because if it was, well... Cass would kill me. Stab me in the face. With a spoon. A rusty spoon. And not feel bad about it. At. All.**

**And, GOOD GOD THIS TOOK ME TWO DAYS. It was originially yesterday's update, but I wasn't done with it, so I was like "SCREW IT" and I decided to save it for today. It's 10 pages long! 6, 017 words! And half-way through, I had to switch over to another keyboard cuz the one I was using decided to be a total wimp and stop working cuz I spilled a little root beer on it =_= WIMP.**

**Anyway.**

**Sooo. Cass... Um... Don't kill me, kay? (:**

**DISCLAIMER TIME:**

**Anger Core: ARE YOU A MORON? DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT THE IDIOT WHO WROTE THIS ACTUALLY OWNS THE DAMN CHARACTERS? WELL, SHE DOESN'T, AND NEITHER DO YOU. VALVE OWNS IT. ACTUALLY, NO. _I_ OWN THE GODDAMN STORY. DEAL WITH IT.**

**Morality Core: ... Calm. Down. -hits him upside the head with a frying pan-**

**I am not a moron TT^TT **

**And guess who will be doing the disclaimer tomoooorrow? ;D BET YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO!**

**Enjoy~!**

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><p><em><strong>Anything For Love<br>**_

**~Aperture, 1982~**

She didn't find this at all fun.

Cass furrowed her brow, glaring at the test chambers in front of her, the catwalks upon catwalks that turned and twisted over deadly acid water and the salt mines below. She could hear the other testing subjects doing their tests, all employees like her, but smarter, the best of the scientists at the facility. With a frown, she sighed. Why was she doing this again?

Cave Johnson. Of course.

In the year or two of her working here as a lowly receptionist, Cass couldn't seem to remember a time when the C.E.O.'s name wasn't being blared on the intercoms and his ramblings about lemons and science wasn't on an endless loop in the break room. "All in the name of science" was one of his mottos, and one that just about everyone in the facility- beside her- had taken as their own. She didn't care about science, all she wanted was the paycheck at the end of the week so she could pay her bills and go about her way.

With an exhausted sigh, Cass stepped into one of the testing chambers, knowing Mr. Johnson was watching- he always watched her test because she was the youngest out of all the testers at eighteen. He said it was nothing to sneeze at, but she'd rather just be back at her desk than making history in science out here in the testing tracks.

"Repulsion gel." Cave announced over the intercom in her chamber, a sickly cough following his voice. "Don't get covered in it."

Cass sent a fake smile to him then turned around, shooting portals on the walls and managing to get just where she needed to be in a short amount of time. The gel was blue, sticky and gooey, almost making it seem useless until she stepped on it and jumped, launching nearly ten feet in the air and landing on the ground with a gentle plop thanks to the long fall boots. She blinked at the gel and sighed. It wasn't really a surprise that now the tests contained weird gel substances. This was Aperture, after all. Mr. Johnson must have just invented it, because it seemed like no one else on this testing track had managed to try it out just yet. She rolled her eyes. Flattering.

The exit was just a few yards away, and she shot a blue portal under the blue gel's drip, then another on the ceiling in front of her. With a trampoline set up in front of her, she sighed, made sure she had a firm grip on the portable portal device, then jumped on it, launching herself at the exit, landing on the platform smoothly. She smiled- that was her best test yet.

"Good job there, kiddo. The repulsion gel is still a work in the making, but it seems that we've done a damn good job. Just continue on the catwalks, and we'll get you to the next chamber."

Cave Johnson's voice was haunting to her, as she slowly made her way to the catwalks, portal gun hanging limply at her side from her hand. There wasn't much to look at it- dirty floors, acid water, salt mine cave walls, the occasional flash of a white lab coat and a couple of chambers. Cave had decided it was a "damn good idea" to make his laboratory underground, and why she'd never know. She'd always ask why underground and why not above ground, but she'd never voice them; that was an almost taboo topic in the facility.

She hopped onto the elevator, watching the facility pass by quickly under her. She sighed and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. Sleep… She needed sleep. No human- man, Olympian, astronaut, war hero or homeless person- could ever take this must testing in such a short period of time just about every day. The lack of sleep was starting to catch up to her, and she could tell. If only they could sleep in a little later than five thirty…

The elevator came to its stop and she jumped, blue eyes still heavy as she yawned, and shook her head, trying to watch herself up. _'Just a few more chambers, then you're done.'_ She told herself, repeating it again and again. When she stepped out and looked up, her eyes caught sight of not Caroline or Cave, but Doug Rattman, the programmer for Aperture, in charge of the interactive graphics format. It was odd to see him in so low in the facility, considering his place is usually up in the newly built offices above the testing chambers, but Cass wasn't going to ask any questions. Dr. Rattman was probably called down here to watch the testers, and nothing more. Cass wasn't going to worry about it; worrying got you nowhere.

After a few well placed portals, and a couple of run-ins with the new gel, propulsion gel, a sticky, sweet-smelling orange gel that made you run twice as fast as usual. She didn't really like the gels that much, but it was part of her testing, and if she didn't reach her monthly testing quota, it was possible her pay could get deducted, and she was making barely enough to pay her bills, so making less wasn't in the question. She cleared her throat and continued on, stopping when the doctor himself stood in front of her, light blue eyes so bright and dark brown hair a little messy.

"That was quite a display of cleverness there, ma'am." He greeted, holding out his hand. "My name is Dr. Doug Rattman. I work as a programmer for the interactive graphic format."

She smiled, shaking it politely. "Cass. I'm just a receptionist."

Dr. Rattman smiled, his smile very warm. "Still as important as anything else. I came down here to see who the tester was that the lab boys upstairs kept talking about."

"Me? Oh, but I'm not that great."

"You're better than some of the people that Cave used to bring into here. And most of the testing subjects he's recruited from his labs are just smart when it comes to building the testing materials that go into the chambers, not actually solving them." He chuckled. "Not to mention, you're only eighteen. That's pretty impressive."

Cass scratched the back of her head. "Thank you, Dr. Rattman."

"Just call me Doug, okay? I'll see you around, Cass."

They waved a farewell and Cass blinked, frowning a little. That was definitely odd.

* * *

><p>"Tests are-" A sickly cough. "over. Back to your desks."<p>

Cass sighed, leaning up against the wall of the testing chamber and letting out a held-in breath, blinking at the lights that were dimming from over fourth years of testing. She picked up her portal gun and followed the catwalks back to the elevators, knowing she'd have to go back to work as a receptionist before anything else, and that'd all she ever be- a receptionist and a part-time test subject. She sighed at her life's position, and stopped right at the intersection of two catwalks, one she was so used to seeing. The facility had grown quiet except for the gentle hum of machines that were endlessly running, and she almost jumped out of her skin when a yell echoed around the mines, causing a few rocks to rain down.

"Aaaah! Bird! Bird! Bird!"

She turned just in time to see a copper-haired man run down the intersecting catwalk, waving his arms wildly and trying to swat away the bird that was pecking at his head and chasing him. Cass stared dumbly as he hit the railing and stopped, going to the ground in a fetal position, hands covering his head. She glared and charged at him, shooing the bird away. "Go away! Go!" She yelled, swatting at it. It crackled loudly, and then flew away, the man looking up from his safety to her, a red tint rising to his cheeks.

"Ah, I'm, uh, sorry 'bout that, really." He apologized, his voice thick with a British accent. His suit was a light gray color, almost white under the lighting, and he wore a dark gray necktie that was secured with a beautiful, dazzling blue gem that could almost best his blue eyes that shone behind black rimmed glasses. His collar, rounded off without the points, bore Aperture's logo. "I don't know why that bloody bird was chasing me. It just swooped down after my testing and started to attack me. Absolutely mad."

Cass chuckled a little at him, and then looked around. The lights were starting to dim more. "We better get back to the offices. Do you mind if I stick around with you?"

"No, no! I mean, not at all. I mean, feel free to follow me, not like I'm calling you a pest or anything, and I'm not being sarcastic either, I'm just saying it sounds like a good idea, and I'm rambling like an idiot, aren't I?" He rambled as they walked, red in his cheeks.

She laughed, patting him on the arm. "Not at all. You're kinda funny."

He blushed more, scratching the back of his head. "Ha. I try, I guess. To be honest, I don't really, but, if you find me funny, then I must be doing something right, yeah?" He paused his speech for a moment. "God, I'm such a moron. My name's Wheatley."

"Cass. Nice to meet you."

They shook hands, the elevator in sight. "So what do you work for, Cass?"

"I'm just a receptionist. Mr. Johnson ordered me to do some field testing, too, so I guess I'm a part-time test subject."

Wheatley smiled. "Wicked. I'm just a stocks manager. Nothing important. I also got called in to do some testing a while back, but I'm having a bloody hard time with it, to be honest. Can't figure it out to save my life." He sighed. "I'm not too good with all this testing stuff."

"I'm pretty good, if you ask Dr. Rattman, the upstairs lab boys and Mr. Johnson… And I'm also the youngest tester here." The blonde mentioned, blue eyes staring at the elevator- why did it seem so close now, when she didn't want to even leave?

Wheatley looked at her funny. "Youngest? How old are you, love?"

"Eighteen."

He whistled in awe. "Eighteen… Wow. I'm only twenty." He beamed. "I guess I'm the second youngest here, huh?"

"Guess so." She smiled back. "Oh, the elevator."

They stopped in front of the lift, waiting until it safely made its stop in front of them before passing through the emancipation grid and stepping onto the elevator. Cass sighed. "Everyday… It's really starting to catch up to me, if you were to ask."

Wheatley looked at her, concerned. "Don't get much sleep, do you?"

"No much… Between testing, working and cleaning, I barely get time to just relax." She slid down the elevator's wall. "I feel so tired all the time, and I even think I'm starting to come down with a cold."

His eyes bulged. "Ah- That's terrible! Maybe you should take some time off for yourself, then?"

Cass shook her head. "I left my parents after I graduated high school, so I'm completely on my own. If I don't work, I won't be able to pay for my apartment or my bills."

Wheatley's blue eyes went down before he perked back up, a wide grin on his face. "I could help you out. How does that sound?"

She looked over, shocked. "Oh, I couldn't possibly do that to someone I just met."

He beamed. "I consider you just about the friendliest person I've met so far here, and I've gotta soft spot for people in need. I don't mind, anyway. I could split the rent with you so that way you don't have to pay for so much. I could even move in with you, if you didn't mind."

Cass blinked, face scrunched up in thought before a smile crossed her lips. "Sounds like an idea to me."

* * *

><p>The apartment was a cramped, tiny living space Aperture rented out to some of their employees after refusing to let them leave the facility and go to the surface. Whatever Cave Johnson's problem was with the surface world was, he was imposing it onto his workers and scientists. Ever since Cass had gotten a job down here and seventeen, she hadn't seen a real beam of sunlight or a patch of green grass. Thank god they at least got real food for them.<p>

She threw her bag- a black messenger with Aperture's logo on the front- onto her couch, then flopped down herself, listening to the quiet shuffle of someone else coming into the house. "Make yourself at home. I'll get the other bedroom ready, okay?" She tucked some of her hair behind her ear as she hurried around the apartment, pulling blankets, sheets and comforters out of closets and random spots, carrying them to the back bedroom.

Wheatley stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room. What had he been thinking? He had just met this girl and he was already living with her? Wasn't that the exact opposite of what you were supposed to do? He sighed, looking around at the different pictures stopping to examine one in particular. He picked the frame up, staring intently at the picture of a white blanketing the ground and Cass, arms out spread, standing in the middle of it with heavy coats and pants on, a hat on top of her head. Her smile was so wide and bright, he's cheeks went red from it alone. Wheatley tilted his head to the side as she came back in, stopping to look at him. "You found my pictures, huh?"

Wheatley nearly jumped out of his skin, looking back to her and nodding. "Yeah… What's this white stuff in this picture?" he asked.

She came over to stand next to him, arm brushing against his. His heart stopped for a moment. "It's snow… Have you never seen it before?"

He shook his head. "My parents worked down here when around when I was born, so all I've ever known is the mines and underground facilities, long winding hallways and open, empty catwalks." Wheatley put the picture back on its rightful shelf. "I bet it's nice up there."

"Well, where I lived it was always really cold and it snowed a lot, so I guess you could say "nice" if you wanted to." Cass shrugged. "When I left home after high school, I came to work here since they were hiring for a receptionist, and I needed a job anyway. I didn't expect to buy an apartment down here and start doing tests for the boss, though." She smiled. "Maybe, one day, we'll be able to go to the surface together."

Wheatley smiled. "Yeah… One day…"

Cass turned and pointed down the hall. "The first door on your left is the bathroom, second is my room. Your room is the only door to your right. Sorry it's a bit of a mess in there because I never use that bedroom, but I can straighten it out if you want me to."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it, okay? I'll be fine." He told her, following her into the hallway, and stopping at his door as he watched her going into her room. "Hey, Cass?"

She stopped her journey and looked back. "Yeah?"

"Thank you. For letting me stay, that is." He told her, a smile on his face. "I mean it."

"No, Wheatley, thank you for offering to split the rent with me… It was such a sweet thing to do." She smiled even wider. "Night Wheatley."

"Night Cass."

He couldn't sleep that night, laying a bed that was much more comfortable than that near cot he slept on in his roommate's apartment. His mind was racing, thoughts blowing past at a mile a minute, and almost all of them about the same thing- Cass. She was a strange one, indeed; all the rights amount of brave, stubborn and caring, not to mention soft-spoken when she needed to be and out-spoken when the situation called for it. She was someone he had to admire because she was so unlike himself. Wheatley was a moron, and even if he hated being called it, he would have to the first to admit it was true, he was a coward, really slow and too apologetic. Everything was his fault, it seemed, and he was always too soft-spoken and passive. No wonder he didn't work in the really important parts of the facility. He was just a stocks manager… That's all he'd ever be, most likely. He sighed again, less forced than the first time he had.

Why would anyone bother to be human so bad?

* * *

><p>It seemed like the entire world was gray now, and not just because it was, but because C.E.O., founder, producer and backbone of this company, Cave Johnson, was dead. They had told him that ground up moon rocks was poison, and he had even listened to this warning after he had gotten sick. It was all in the name of science, he had told the worrisome people, laughing it off before a round of sickly coughs racked his body. Even after all the pain and suffering he must have gone through, it seemed that the price of a life lost was worth it to the scientists- convulsion gel, white, sticky gel that would stick to any hard surface and allow portal gun wielders to shoot a portal there. It became their most valuable asset.<p>

But that wasn't all Cave had left behind.

In one of his last and final recordings, he tells the people of Aperture to load Caroline's, his assistant's, memories and personality into the computer they were building for him. When this leaked out among the masses that the mad plan was to actually go through, a worried and almost scared tone set around the facility. For some of them, they were questioning Aperture for the first time in their lives.

Cass didn't see a change in her and Wheatley's life much after Cave's death two or three months after they had met. They still worked in the offices in the lowly positions they were assigned, then tested for a few hours (those hours began to dwindle extremely, might she add), and then went back home before any more complications arose at their desks. The apartment they shared had really improved since two of them began living in it and rent became an easier thing to pay when Cass was involved. Not to mention, well…

She had a slight crush on Wheatley.

Here she was, eighteen, and she still had the audacity to call it a "crush" like some little love struck schoolgirl. She laughed at herself more often than not, because she knew "crush" was an understatement, and she couldn't help but to feel that she was falling in love with the copper-haired man even faster-so than usual. If Wheatley felt the same way then he was a genius at hiding it, or maybe he was just so oblivious to his own feelings, or her own for that matter.

Cass didn't ponder on it for too long; that would just interfere with her work, which was the last thing she needed, to be honest. With a heavy sigh, she stretched over the back of his chair and yawned, closing her eyes. Just as she was relaxing, a face appeared around the side of the cubicle she worked in. "'Ey, Cass."

She looked up, smiling at Wheatley with a warm look. "Hey."

"You wanna go get something for lunch before we have to be out on the testing track?" he asked, holding up a wallet. "I'll pay."

Cass shrugged and stood, following the Brit without hesitation, and ignoring the strange looks they seemed to get- what was their problem? The blonde ignored them and continued on her with her friend, watching as he paid for two slices of pizza and two sodas, carrying them to the nearest, and emptiest, table with ease. "Here we are." He announced, setting them down and then sitting across from Cass, biting into his pizza. "Mmm."

She looked at him a bit closer- there was something off about him. "Hey, something wrong?"

"No? Why'd you ask?"

Avoiding the question. Typical Wheatley. She rolled her eyes. "You know what I'm talking about. You look off. What's wrong?"

He sighed and set down his slice, looking at Cass closely. "They really are going to put Caroline in that computer whether she likes it or not. They need someone to watch the facility, and apparently Dr. Rattman isn't good enough."

"That man is crazy, Wheatley." Cass told him. "He's got pills he takes, too. I've seen them." She looked out the window to the over watch of the testing tracks- empty. "I wonder how it'd be…"

"What?" Wheatley asked.

"I wonder… How would it be to be a robot? Like Caroline is going to be… I wonder how that'd feel…" Cass trailed off, looking over at Wheatley. "Just kidding."

The man chuckled lightly and looked out the window himself, blue eyes lost. "I wonder what the surface is like…"

Cass looked at him as a look of overwhelming sadness crossed his face. "I wonder."

* * *

><p>"GLaDOS is unstable?"<p>

Cass's mouth hung wide open as Wheatley delivered the news. Her hands paused on the laundry she was folding to look over at him. "You can't be serious."

"Yeah. They can't continue with the project, officially, until they can figure out a way to control her. Every time they tried to power her up, she'd try to go absolutely postal! Mad!" He waved his hands in show. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to leave this place."

Cass turned toward him. "We should."

His ears perked up. "Exc-Excuse me but… What?"

"We should leave!" The blonde exclaimed. "I'm not working under a postal robot, so let's go to the surface. You and me." She took Wheatley's hands. "You said you wanted to, and I'm more than willing to go with you."

Wheatley's hands felt on fire as he swallowed his decision down and nodded slowly. "I-I'll go…"

Cass smiled. "Dr. Rattman. He knows the facility upside down and right side up. He'd be able to help us."

"But he's a bloody crazy! A proper lunatic!" Wheatley exclaimed.

"But he knows the way around better than us. We'd end up getting lost and stuck somewhere and die. With his help, we'd be able to escape, to get to the surface… To be free." She hugged Wheatley, head resting on his shoulder. "You'd love it… You really would."

He could feel his heart mending itself together and breaking all at once, and he knew, just knew that this wasn't a great idea.

* * *

><p>Their plans were in two parts; try to escape by just making a break for the elevators, then attempt to make a better plan for getting out of here. Wheatley knew that the first was going to fail (mainly because he had came up with the idea), but he thought it sounded good at the time, and apparently so did Cass.<p>

So there they were, packing up small belongings in their Aperture messenger bags and putting on their most free fitting clothes they could find. Cass had slipped on her over-sized black sweater with a pair of baggy jeans she had been wearing for forever, and Wheatley- being Wheatley- stuck with his normal suit and necktie. She didn't criticize him, although she did laugh at him for a moment after he had gotten out of his bedroom.

They had a small plan- run and don't stop running for anything unless the other stops you. Make a break for the elevators to the surface and try not to get killed by the turrets. It was simple enough, when Wheatley thought about it, but it really wasn't- turrets hurt, and he knew. Cass didn't seem at all phased by getting herself shot at by military-grade weapons, but… that was Cass. Brave, cunning, witty and clever. And Wheatley was Wheatley. Cowardly, stupid, dim-witted and slow. Their plans were only half-right and half-fool proof. The other half was set up for failure.

Cass peeked around a corner, eyes narrowed in watch then she motioned for him to follow her, jogging out into the open quietly, then motioning for Wheatley to follow. His conscience, the one that always seemed to tell him right from wrong was yelling at him. _'Stop it! It's not going to work!'_ He had to ignore it, for the plans, for the escape, for Cass, the only girl he had ever loved.

She stopped, turning to him and smiling. "Dr. Rattman drew us some maps, and the elevators are this way." She told him, handing him one. "I was up all night memorizing them. I hardly got any sleep."

Wheatley stopped this time, looking down. His stomach hurt, as it often did when a bad idea was about to go wrong, and he looked up at her. "What's wrong Wheatley?"

"This… This is a bad idea, I know it is." He swallowed dryly and shook his head. "Can't we just go back, Cass?"

"Wheatley, we-"

"Who's over there?"

They jumped and turned as a guard pointed to them. "Crap! C'mon, Wheatley!" she grabbed his hand and took off in the opposite way of the guard, short blonde hair blowing back out of her face and Wheatley could smell her coconut shampoo. He sighed. _'Now is not the best time!'_

"Wait, Cass. In here." He stopped them and pulled her into a small, closed off, empty closet, looking out the door's window until the guard disappeared from sight, confused as to their disappearance, but not bright enough to actually look around. He stalked off and Wheatley let out his held breath, hands protectively around Cass' waist until his face lit up red and he pulled back, only to run into the closet door, only a few inches between them. "Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean, to, ah… cramp you."

Cass smiled and shook her head, not at all finding the small space awkward. "It's okay. Nice thinking back there, though."

He smiled and scratched the back of his head. "No problem, I, uh, can be some-what bright when I need to be." He stopped his rambling and sighed. "Cass, listen, I'm sorry…"

"Why?" She tilted her head to the side. "Why would you be?"

"We're stuck in a cramped closet because of my stupid idea to make a run for it…" Wheatley's shoulders sagged, face so full of sorrow that Cass could barely stand it. "I'm sorry that none of my plans ever work…"

The blonde chuckled and wrapped her arms around his middle, making his face heat up. _'Oh my god, she's so close!'_ Cass put her head against his chest and closed her eyes. "I'm the one who agreed with them, so I should be saying sorry. I'm not going to blame you. And actually, this was kind of fun." She looked at him, blue eyes sparkling, so bright and dazzling. A smile crossed over her lips.

He couldn't help it, he just couldn't. Wheatley put his hands on either sides of her face and brought his lips to hers, feeling her breath hitch and stop for a moment before she held onto him tighter, her eyes slipping closed. He couldn't help but to feel like his entire life was in this moment, and just as quickly as this euphoric feeling that come over his body settled in, it left as he parted, listening to their breathing. He smiled at her, and she returned the warm, kind look, no doubt in her eyes.

Wheatley could have died happy right there.

* * *

><p>His bed was empty, he was missing and his sheets still warm, ruffled and wrinkled from sleep. Cass' eyes could have held tears, but she was more mad at him than anything. Wheatley just disappeared, the morning before their escape, the one that had good, thought-out plans with more than just maps and escape routes drawn out. She crossed her arms over her chest and exited the apartment, pulling on her jacket black Aperture jacket in the process. The apartment row was quiet, all the employees probably working today except for her due to her vacation time. With a huff and a sigh, she made her way toward the elevators to the upper offices. Wheatley had a fascination with the GLaDOS project that had been going on for nearly six months, and any time that he didn't spend with her or at work, he spent there, watching the scientists build machines that would possibly control GLaDOS.<p>

She turned the corner, waving to some of the other employees until one stopped her, pulling her back. "Oh, Cass, happy birthday."

Cass blinked, the date suddenly coming back to her- she was nineteen now. She smiled. "Thank you."

"Doing anything?"

"Just trying to find Wheatley." She told them, but they shrugged and walked off, making her sigh as she continued her journey to the elevators, stepping onto one and letting it rise above the rest of the underground facility. Her eyes, stared for a moment at the bad water before it turned into nearly pristine floors and walls, stainless glass and clear areas. It was a little too bright at first, but she shook it off and made her way to the GLaDOS project room, passing by a familiar man that was mumbling under his breath.

"I told them not to… I told them not to…"

Cass stopped and turned to face him, worry in her face. "Dr. Rattman?"

He turned to her, eyes wide and crazed. "I told them not to, but they don't listen to me… They never listen to me."

She stepped forward, eyes never leaving him. "What do you mean, Dr. Rattman? Who didn't listen to you?"

"They used him… For the project… I told them no to, I told them, but they don't listen to me, they never listen to me…"

Her heart sank, and she bolted down the hallway, eyes stinging and heart breaking. _'Don't let him be, don't let him be-'_ She slid into the door, opening it and only then did she scream, hands covering her mouth as she tried to back away but found on the door that had closed on her. "Oh n-"

A white sphere with a beautiful blue middle optic for an eye looked down at her, it widening with surprise. "Cass?" It asked in such a painfully familiar British accent that her stomach sank.

"Wheatley…" She stepped forward, knowing the voice, the speech patterns, and to hell with the two; she knew because of how her name was said. "W-What happ… ened…" her voice trailed off, tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Cass…" he pleaded. "Don't cry… Hey, I'm gonna live forever now…" His voice begged for the humor he tried to create, because it hurt him deep down inside now that Cass was such a wreak.

Her cheeks were red and she shook her head. "No, no, no! Not you… Not you…" She cried, holding onto him gently as he hung from a rail in the ceiling. "Wheatley… Who did this to you… Why…"

"They needed a surplus of cores to make GLaDOS behaved… I guess I was on the list to be made into one…" he said, looking at her so intently. "I didn't even know until I got woken up this morning and taken down here. I blanked out sometime around the middle… It was bloody painful."

Cass shook her head, slowly at first before she was furiously ignoring what had happened. _'Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream._' But when she opened her eyes, her one and only love was still a little robot, staring down at her with such an emotionless eye. "Who was it?"

"Some Henry fellow. I think he knows Dr. Rattman because he said something about him 'disagreeing with the procedure'." His voice stopped, and she could see his eyebrows rising in her head. "Why, Cass?"

"I'm going to go through the procedure."

"Cass, no-"

"I want to be with you."

"No, I-"

"Wheatley, I'm going to, Goddammit!" she yelled, her voice echoing slightly around the room. "I can't just… forget about you like that… I… I don't want to be separated from you, Wheatley… I don't, and I can't…"

He sighed, nothing but a voice then nodded slowly. "I can't stop you Cass, not now… If you want to, well… Go. I just can't begin to tell you how painful the procedure is."

Cass smiled a little, and then kissed him gently on the side, where his cheek would be. "Just remember, Wheatley, I love you…"

"I love you, too, Cass…"

She turned slowly and faced the door that held her future, her fate, her only chance at love. With one last smile toward Wheatley, she walked forward and opened the door and looked at the scientist in charge of the project- Henry was it?- and took in a breath. "I want to become a core for the GLaDOS project."

She'd do anything for love.

* * *

><p><strong>~Aperture, 2019~<strong>

**~37 Years Later~**

Chell was quiet as she tested, shooting portals and making faces when she got confused, but Wheatley was patient, waiting for her on the other side of the chambers as she did was she had to, and it didn't mind him at all. As they were passing through the hallways, carefully managing to dodge broken glass and foliage, he saw a single dark gray necktie with a blue gem still pinned to its inside, and he stopped, making Chell turn with a look on her face.

"That was mine…"

She followed her gaze down to the necktie, picking it up and gently holding it in her hand. She looked up at him with her stormy gray eyes, curiosity on my face.

"Thirty seven years ago, I was human, and I worked deep below where we are now as a stocks manager. Well, I was put into a core for a back up on the GLaDOS project, and I stayed like this…" he shook it off. "Oh, it doesn't matter. Let's continue, shall we?"

They continued on, but took much looking around caused him to see an old sphere laying in the corner, broken and dusty, and his heart broke in two. "There was this core, another one that was built strictly for back up, because they didn't really need one of that nature. It was GLaDOS' Love core, one that she rejected no matter how many times they tried to get her to use it. It was unneeded, so they… they destroyed it…"

Chell's eyes didn't lose their curious nature, yet gained a sad sparkle that set in.

"Well, the core used to be the only woman I had ever loved…"


	7. Somewhere Only We Know

**AND THIS IS THE END -hearts- Not only is it the end of the story for me, but I also took my last exams as a 10th grade high school student (: No school for two months! Woot!**

**Now, this one is short in comparison to the last one, but... This one makes me gigglesnort.**

**I'd like to thank any body and every body who favorited, watched, and reviewed this story because I was honestly expecting next to nothing for it. You guys... You guys rock!**

**Disclaimers:**

**Wheatley: Ah- Oh! Oh, that's me! Me! I'm getting to do the disclaimer! Oh, um... What do I say?**

**Cass: You should probably say something along the lines of "Rae doesn't own Portal 2, Valve does". That would probably start you off, there.**

**Wheatley: Oh, okay, okay. I can do this. -clears throat- Rae doesn't own Portal 2, Valve does! There, how did I do?**

**Cass: -huggles him- Awesome!**

**Enjoy the last one~~~~  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere Only We Know<strong>

It was all really quite ridiculous when she thought about it, it being the entire mess she had just managed to get herself into and out of in a short amount of time. She had to remind herself so many times a day that this wasn't a dream, that this did happen, and that everything she could have ever wanted in life (beside that unicorn when she was three; that would have to wait) was right in here in this wheat field in the middle of Idaho. Kind of funny, if you were to ask her and she'd just smile at the question.

Her face turned up toward the sky was serene as the night stars above her, eyes sparkling and lips turned into a smile, humming a simple tune to herself as she swung her legs back and forth as she perched on top of the only thing in sight- a burned and dirtied cube. Cass' hair was a halo around her face, framing it perfectly in all the right places as she pushed her glasses up a little bit, blinking so her eyes could adjust, and then sighing. Aperture, the place she had been stuck for the past nine years, was never this quiet and peaceful, always the hum of machines and sounds of turrets' bullets ripping through the air at any point in the day. Her ears could only hear the warm breeze ruffling the wheat and crickets joining in the chorus. It was always hectic, always extremely loud and crazy there, with just a touch of silence that was graced to her for a few moments during a test, and then the noise would pick back up again. It was a wonderful change, but she couldn't help but missing the one thing that kept her going at the laboratory.

She sighed, this time sullenly and softer as she rested her elbows on her knees and leaned her head into her hands, looking at the field stretched out in front of her, and the one thing she wanted the most to eat at the moment- cake. Ironic. Cass laughed, her stomach beginning to hurt, and she held it, wiping the tears from her eyes. A flash of blue in the night sky caught her attention, and she reverted it toward the stars, blinking and watching intently.

If it had been that time- the time not to long ago- that blue would have brought tears to her eyes, but now… now she just smiled at it. She had saved him from space, she knew (risked her life to do it, too), and he was safe now… Safe on Earth, not in space orbiting the moon like some little moon in comparison, the image making her giggle. Cass brought her hand up again to push her hair behind her ear, jumping a little when there were footsteps in the grass behind her and a taller, copper-haired man walked up, brushing off the light gray suit he wore and adjusting the his neck tie. "That field is bloody confusing," he said, British accent thick as he raised his eyes up to smile at her. "Have you been sitting on that cube the entire time, luv?"

Cass' chuckled and shrugged. "You caught me. Did you find a rope of some kind?"

He nodded and held up said rope with a smile. "That I did. I don't understand why'd you want it, though. It was also a terribly hard find, to be honest."

The blonde took the rope from the man and hopped off the cube, carefully tying the coil around it, and tying it off, leaving just enough so she could drag it behind her. She smiled up at his awe struck face. "No one gets left behind."

"That's absolutely brilliant! No doubt about it! I could have never thought of that one." He rambled, taking her hand in his. "You're absolutely brilliant, Cass."

She smiled, cheeks red. "Thank you. We should head off, now. I really want to get changed out of these clothes." She motioned down at her white Aperture tank top, orange jumpsuit that she tied off at the waist and her long fall boots. "And I bet you'd like something a little more comfortable."

He pulled the neck tie away from his body and laughed nervously as they walked along a path pressed into the wheat, the cube dragging behind them slowly. "I don't know, I'm kind of liking this suit, you know?" he told her, smiling. "And I'm kind of liking you in that tank top."

Cass pushed him playfully. "I've got other tank tops, you know." She smiled back at him, then a flash of yellow across the sky caught her attention.

He was already onto it by the time she opened her mouth. "Look! It's gotta be Space!" he said, pointing at the orange streak in the sky. "I bet he's having a bloody good time up there, don't you?"

The blonde was nodded, then looked over at him. "Hey."

He looked at her, arm lowering. "Yes, luv?"

She took a couple of steps toward him and kissed him on the cheek gently, standing on her toes to reach. "I'm glad you're okay, Wheatley."

Wheatley blushed and scratched the back of his head nervously. "I… I'm glad you're okay, too, Cass."

Cass smiled.

She tested for weeks, rescued the one person she loved the most and ended up in a field only they'd ever know about, and on top of all that had happened, and everything that was bound to still happen, she realized one thing above all else.

They were still alive.


End file.
